Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Contemporary Dance Masterclass by Stefanie Batten Bland



Have not been dancing for ages! And with the chance of my cousin who teaches dance, I got to know of this Contemporary Dance Masterclass by Company Stefanie Batten Bland at Goodman Arts Centre @90 Goodman Road,Singapore 439053





On 9 April 2011 (Saturday) / 3 to 5pm
boy, was I blown away. Her techniques and style of contemporary is exactly what I have been looking for.

show reel from Stefanie Batten Bland on Vimeo.



Company Stefanie Batten Bland is a Franco-American company with dancers from both France and the USA. Stefanie founded her dance troupe, Company Stefanie Batten Bland/sbb birdlegs, out of Paris and New York in 2008.They are committed to fostering an intercontinental relationship of dance, by mixing the subtleties of Europe and American ardour. The company explores human emotional relationships and the notion of community, within a cultural, social historical and present performance context.
http://www.birdlegs.net/company.html



When she thinks about her role in the dance world, Stefanie says she does not classify herself in labels.

"We all have our personal point of view that filters into how we see and feel things. Masculine or feminine, how we are type cast or not, how we fight boxes or not. Feeling good in my skin, which is full of femininity and colors and height and power and fragility, is simply my approach. Being and breathing whole and feeling whole rather than chopping myself up into parts is what works best for me. Enough cutting is done by society, I am interested in sewing."

You can follow her on:
http://twitter.com/#!/sbbirdlegs



Her words to aspiring dancers and choreographers:

"You have to stay true to who you are as a person, appreciate all that has come before and celebrate it in the now. Accept the accidents as great opportunities to explore, even when they occur on stage. Breathe in and smile."

It was amazing how she used her hands to walk and legs to touch and feel


I missed her studio presentation 14th April as I heard



We're all birds flying in the garden.
We're all fishes swimming in the sea.
We're all litter waiting in the garbage.
We're all humans fighting for survival.





One of her pieces
“The Polished Hoes”

The Polished Hoes excerpt 2009 from Stefanie Batten Bland on Vimeo.



FESTIVAL AVIGNON OFF 2008 press


How do we support one another during times of hardship? How does one overcome his/her personal struggles and find the strength to endure?



Both dancers are forced to prostitute themselves figuratively, if not literally, falling into a cycle that becomes difficult to break. Bound in situations from which they feel unable to escape, they must carry each other through for their survival.

By interweaving elements of postmodern dance and ballet with elements of African and contemporary music (the original compositions of Jean Philippe Barrios), this piece gives testimony to the mutual support and perseverance embodied universally in human struggles.

Musical composition and arrangement: Jean Philippe Barrios (including James Brown, Odile Falcon and Lambarena-Bach)

Lighting Design: Cyril Mulon
Costumes: Claire Avias

Lighting Design:
Moh Aroussi, Cyril Mulon

Costumes: Claire Avias

Dancers:
Stefanie Batten Bland,
Raphaël Kaney Duverger

For more of her dances, you can log onto her vimeo videos
And her facebook profile

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